Sustainable funding isn’t found.
It’s built.
Applied research for program design and evaluation.
I partner with nonprofits, coalitions, prime contractors, and public agencies at three points in a program's lifecycle: testing whether a new idea will work, designing a program so it's ready to fund and ready to run, and independently evaluating programs already serving people.
You stay focused on your work. I handle the research, design, and analysis.
A free 30-minute video call. No pitch.
Who I partner with.
Nonprofits & cross-sector coalitions.
For nonprofits and coalitions competing for foundation or public funding.
I help you test a new idea with the community it's meant to serve, design the program before you write the proposal, or evaluate programs already in progress.
Prime contractors & public agencies.
I work as a subcontractor on feasibility studies, program design, and independent evaluation, delivering to your scope, schedule, and reporting requirements.
Where good programs get stuck.
Funders and agencies look for three things: evidence that a program is needed, a clear plan for running it, and credible proof that it works.
Building those takes focused time, and the people who know the program best are usually busy delivering it. So the groundwork gets squeezed into a proposal deadline, and the gaps show up later.
01 / The idea hasn't been tested with the community.
Funding timelines are short, so new programs are often designed from experience and good instincts rather than fresh input from the people they'll serve. When an assumption is off, teams find out after launch, when changes cost the most.
02 / The proposal is ready before the program is.
Many proposals describe a program that hasn't been fully worked out: who does what, in what order, and how success will be measured. When I'm asked to write a grant, I usually have to go back and design the program first. Without that step, teams work out the details after the award, while they're already delivering services.
03 / Results are hard to show from the inside.
Most teams track their own outcomes, and that work matters. But findings from an outside evaluator carry more weight with funders, and they show more clearly what's working and what needs to change.
Each of these gaps is easier and less costly to close early. My three services are designed to do exactly that.
How we’ll work together.
You bring the context and make the key decisions. I do the research, design, and analysis.
01 / Short, focused sessions.
We meet at a few key points to set priorities, review progress, and make decisions. Meetings stay short and purposeful.
02 / I do the heavy lifting.
I handle the research, fieldwork, design, and analysis, from the first draft to the final report.
03 / Work you can use right away.
You get documents that go straight into proposals, board packets, and reports, and that guide your team's day-to-day work.
Experience behind the work.
Before founding The Grants Architect, I led and co-led program development for competitive federal and regional proposals totaling $26.5M across higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors.
$224K
Armed Services YMCA initiative for military-connected families, funded in full by USAA.
$1.3M
Ceiling-level awards from USDA and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
$3.3M
U.S. Department of Education TRiO program: co-directed compliance and performance tracking.
Getting started.
Three simple steps, starting with a no-pressure conversation.
01 / Talk it through.
A free 30-minute call about your project, your timeline, and where you're stuck.
02 / Define the scope.
If we're a good fit, we agree on the questions to answer, the deliverables, and the timeline.
03 / Get a written plan.
You receive a written scope of work and budget, ready for your leadership, partners, or contracting office to review.
A free 30-minute video call. No pitch.
For primes and agencies. I'll reply within one business day.